Comments on Two of the lost episodes exist!

I have it from a good authority where the transcription discs can be found along with discs of 2 of the lost episodes!

Here is a copy of the letter I have just received from Randy Eidemiller (co-author of the Quiet Please booklet):

Shortly after Ernest Chappell’s death, his widow donated the discs to the Museum of Television and Radio in New York. You might contact them to see if they might loan them to you to clean up the audio. They might be willing to do it since you have a good background in audio restoration. Good Luck!Best Wishes,Randy

The problem is that I have only worked on audio restoration on 78s that I have played on a radio show that I occasionally co-host. I use my own personal equipment and am not in any way associated with a known organization. In other words…I am a nobody to the Museum, which has a reputation of being very guarded with their holdings. I have been trying to find someone with an “in” to that place for years.

Here is something very intriguing from the booklet: “Programs 51 and 52, once thought to be missing, may now be heard at the museum of television and radio location in new York city and Beverly hills cal. Copies however are not available, but interested parties are invited to make an appointment with the archives to hear these marvelous programs.”

Programs 51 and 52 are “Below 5th avenue” and 100,000 Diameters!! The latter being the lost episode I most wanted to hear.

Since I am in New Jersey, and only about an hour out of the city, I am planning to go to the museum to listen to these.

As far as the loaning of the discs, I would be willing to go to the museum with my equipment and do the work, but I would need someone to sponsor or give me some kind of credibility to do the work.

By the way, any fan of the show should own Randy’s booklet. It has been revised in 2000 and is well worth the price. It costs $13.00 (including postage) and the address is

With binaural mic's piped through glasses frames. You should be able to get a decent recording even if just listening to something through a set of speakers. But, unless in a closed booth or with a very quiet environment, they will pick up sound.

Tom

ps, in the States, the cheapest MD recorder would be under $100....dunno how much the mic would be.

If anyone could give me a model number and make, I'll pick one up! I first want to go there and see how they present the radio programs to visitors. I was there years ago and I think they give you small ear phones to listen through.

This is just a shot in the dark, kids, but I wonder if it would be worthwhile to contact the guy who runs the Old Time Radio Shop website. Among other things, he sells remastered "Quiet, Please!" episodes and might be willing to sponsor or vouch for someone in return for obtaining these two lost episodes. Or, if not, he might have suggestions on how to go about obtaining them, etc.

I have for years been trying to figure out a way to get stuff from the Museum of TV and Radio. No one to my knowledge has had any success. What they tell you is that they can't release anything unless they get permission from the person who donated it to the museum. If that person is deceased, then forget it! It's a shame because they have so much wonderful stuff there and unless you live in the area, no one can enjoy it.The fellow at the OTR Shop tells me that he is aware of the 2 missing episodes in their collection and he knows of no way of getting copies.By the way, the OTR Shop has THE BEST copies of Quiet Please episodes anywhere. I have gotten all the episodes he offers and they are heads and shoulders over anyone else's copies.He has the episodes second generation off the originals and is very knowledgeable in their reproduction. I was actually finally able to follow "The Ticket Taker" (probably the worst quality of all the episodes), while listening to his copy through good quality headphones.Whereas most dealers sell all the episodes on one disc of MP3s, his usually fits only 14 or 15 because his do not have that compressed sound that most do and the larger size of the files take up more space on a disc. He is a bit more expensive (8.00 per disc and only about 30 episodes on 2 discs are available so far), but it is very much worth it.Now we all need to contact him to release the rest of the episodes in this good quality.I should also add that the Radio Spirits Quiet Please collection on cassette is also of extreme good quality. I think it is now out of print, however and may be hard to find. I have a feeling that they used the best quality episodes that exist to begin with. The OTR Shop has not yet released any of the episodes from that set so it is still worth seeking out.

If anyone could give me a model number and make, I'll pick one up! I first want to go there and see how they present the radio programs to visitors. I was there years ago and I think they give you small ear phones to listen through.

From Tom:"With binaural mic's piped through glasses frames. You should be able to get a decent recording even if just listening to something through a set of speakers. But, unless in a closed booth or with a very quiet environment, they will pick up sound."

I am going to get the Sony Mini DIsc recorder you mentioned. How does it record? Do I need a microphone or is it built in? I don't know what a bimaural mic is. Is this an accessory I need to get?Are these recorders good for recording concerts on the sly?

From Tom:"With binaural mic's piped through glasses frames. You should be able to get a decent recording even if just listening to something through a set of speakers. But, unless in a closed booth or with a very quiet environment, they will pick up sound."

I am going to get the Sony Mini DIsc recorder you mentioned. How does it record? Do I need a microphone or is it built in? I don't know what a bimaural mic is. Is this an accessory I need to get?Are these recorders good for recording concerts on the sly?

You do need an external microphone. There's 2 ways to go about it. Either you can hook up a 1/8 inch mini to mini cable from source to recorder and record, or pop a microphone into the md recorder. Here is a link for a set o in ear binaural mics

Without knowing exactly how you'll be set up, its hard to say what kind of gear to pick up. If they allow you to jack your headphones into a port, you're laughing. If they supply you with headphones that are already plugged in, it's a bit more problematic but not impossible. Then, you'd be reduced to putting the headphones on the table, and placing the mics in between the headphones for a recording/ You can get pretty good recordings this way.

Thanks Tom!I will order the in-ear mics as I am going to England for a Brian Wilson concert in March (he is doing a concert of the unreleased legendary SMiLE lp in the UK and Europe only) and they should come in handy.I will go to the museum after New Years and will let you know how the QP episodes are provided.I feel like I am on a Mission Impossible here! Just call me Mr. Phelps.

PS: “or pop a microphone into the md recorder.”

Could you tell me more about the mic that you pop in? Do you mean plug in, or is there some mysterious memory chip-type mic I should know about?

Could you tell me more about the mic that you pop in? Do you mean plug in, or is there some mysterious memory chip-type mic I should know about?

Sorry for not being clear. The binaural mics are plugged in. I kina use the term pop it in identicakky to 'plug it in'.

Tom

(you should carefully check when you're buying an MD recorder that it can accept a microphone-if it can record, it at least has a line in port-some models specifically have a microphone port as well). I bought my MZ-N707 in March/02 but really haven't used it since February when I picked up a Rio Riot. And probably will never use it again since I bought an Ipod.

Ok, so the Sony MZ-NE410 WILL work with the ear mics, correct? I have ordered the mics, but am waiting on the recorder. Does the one you say you have go with the mics? Maybe I could buy it from you since you say you don't use it anymore.